RippleNami, Inc., a provider of a map-based data visualization platform accessed via the cloud, announces the appointment of three new sales professionals, helping strengthen the Company’s position in the global data mapping space.
In the U.S., Tara Cordyack was named to the post of senior director of sales. In this capacity, Cordyack, based in RippleNami’s Washington, D.C. office, will oversee and drive RippleNami’s day-to-day sales functions, marketing activities and channel partnerships.
In Kenya, Jim Shanor was named business development advisor in East Africa, responsible for business development and market expansion in that area. Jero Yegon was appointed to the post of regional sales manager in East Africa, handling sales functions, marketing activities and channel partnerships. Both will be based in RippleNami’s Nairobi, Kenya office.
Cordyack brings nearly 20 years of software, data and analytics sales and marketing experience to her new role. Her expertise in the geospatial arena will prove beneficial as she helps take RippleNami to the next level in term of sales efforts and partnerships. Her focus will not only be on maintaining business but also will include evaluating new markets the Company should consider entering along with the forging of additional partnership opportunities and the identifying and structuring of technology arrangements.
Most recently, Cordyack was director of sales at i-cubed, LLC-An Airbus Group, a leading provider of geospatial imagery, data and versatile software applications, where she led sales efforts and identified new markets for the sale of i-cubed and Airbus’ portfolio of products. Prior, as director; sales and partner/alliance development for OmniEarth, Inc., she managed the pre-sales and direct sales team for the company’s geo-analytics and remote sensing business, developing and creating sales processes and methodologies.
Cordyack spent 6+ years serving in various sales-related roles with increasing responsibility at DigitalGlobe, Inc. (formally GeoEye), a leading provider of high-resolution earth imagery, data and analytics. During her tenure, Cordyack developed new market sectors and managed channel partnerships across North America to include non-profits and NGOs, public safety, education and conservation.
Perhaps one of the most important, relevant roles Cordyack held with respect to her new position at RippleNami was as senior account manager at ESRI, Inc., a global mapping solutions provider. As senior account manager, she was responsible for sales management of key customers in the federal government, in both civilian and defense agencies.
In East Africa, Shanor has spent 30 years serving in a range of roles there. He brings decades of experience from that part of the world to RippleNami, particularly from Kenya, Uganda and Somalia, where his career focused on economic and business expansion, IT and training, mapping across diverse data, and working in high-level government relations and media affairs roles.
Highlights of his career include serving as vice president of Phillips Petroleum Company, overseeing Somalia operations; country program director with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), managing humanitarian projects for UNDP in Somalia; project director with USAID Somalia for the renewable energy sector; and, holding various director roles at NGOs as well as heading a range of consulting ventures.
Yegon, a Kenyan national, began her career as a computer programmer, mastering C++, Java, HTML and other programming abilities. She went on to managing a sales team with one of the largest global companies, Kimberly-Clark. Yegon comes to RippleNami at the recommendation of one of the Company’s strongest partners and investors, Absolute Energy Capital and the Loyatum family.
“We are pleased to support RippleNami’s future growth with the addition of these seasoned professionals, who are strategically positioned around the globe to allow the Company to expand and penetrate the key areas where our technology matters most. We are confident that we can make a mark in territories where technology and mapping will have the greatest impact, and this is extremely rewarding and directly in line with the Company’s mission,” explained Phil Gahn, founder and chief business development officer.
“Jim and Jero’s significant business acumen along with their cultural and political understanding of the East African region will prove beneficial to our growing enterprise. They are our feet on the ground in the Kenya and Somalia areas as they help us navigate the complexities surrounding how RippleNami conducts business throughout East Africa. Their appointments, coupled with Tara’s new leadership role and geospatial expertise, is nicely rounding out the RippleNami global sales team worldwide. The business acumen each brings to their new positions better enables us to bring the RippleNami platform to those customers in need of our innovative services,” Gahn said.
